Nationwide strike on July 9: Ten trade unions protest labour codes

Business Standard

7 hours ago

Ten of the country's 12 central trade unions have called for a nationwide strike on Wednesday to protest the government's failure to conduct the Indian Labour Conference for the last ten years and its continued decisions against the interests of the country's labour force. The unions have particularly criticised the 'attempts to impose' four labour codes with the aim of weakening the collective bargaining power of trade unions.
The unions have said that an estimated 300 to 400 million workers are expected to join the strike, supporting the 17-point charter of demands, which opposes the Union government's policies. The ten trade unions, including the Centre for Indian Trade Unions (CITU), All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), Hind Mazdoor Sabha, and Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), have announced that their preparations for the strike, likely to be one of the biggest in recent years, are on course.
However, the government holds that it is ready to discuss all provisions if unions offer 'constructive feedback,' rather than engaging in consultations with a zero-sum game approach.
'If we talk about labour codes, a majority of states have already made amendments in their laws, aligning them with the spirit of the Centre's codes. It's not just the National Democratic Alliance (NDA)-governed states. Many opposition-ruled states have also made these changes, indicating their recognition of the importance of investments, especially in the manufacturing sector,' official sources told Business Standard.
In a statement issued on the eve of the strike on Tuesday, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh-affiliated Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), the largest trade union in the country, announced it would not participate in the strike, alleging the action was politically inspired. Of the four labour codes, the BMS welcomed the Code on Wages, 2019, and the Code on Social Security, 2020, noting that the latter provided for the social security of platform and gig workers for the first time.
However, the BMS said it had consulted with stakeholders and suggested amendments to the other two labour codes — the Industrial Relations Code, 2020, and the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 — submitting its suggestions to the government.
'In recent days, the government has discussed the amendments with owners and trade unions, but that is insufficient. The government needs to address the issue of amending these codes with more seriousness,' BMS General Secretary Ravindra Himte said, adding that other trade unions were misleading workers, and the strike was 'purely politically inspired.' In addition to the BMS, the National Front of Indian Trade Unions (NFITU) also announced it would not participate in the strike.
In a joint statement, the ten trade unions stated that the government's economic policies were resulting in increased unemployment, rising prices of essential commodities, stagnant wages, and cuts in social sector spending, contributing to growing inequality.
'This strike call opposes the anti-worker, anti-farmer, and anti-national pro-corporate policies of the government,' the unions said. They have been fighting against the privatisation of public sector enterprises, outsourcing by government departments and public sector enterprises (PSEs), and the pro-employer four labour codes, which they argue aim to suppress trade union movements, erode the right to collective bargaining, and decriminalise violations of labour laws by employers while criminalising trade union activities.
The unions have demanded that the government address unemployment, recruit in sanctioned posts, create more jobs, increase workdays and remuneration under the rural employment guarantee scheme, and introduce a similar scheme for urban areas. 'Instead, the government is focused on imposing the Employment Linked Incentive (ELI) scheme to incentivise employers,' the unions said.
Workers in sectors including mining, insurance, power, postal, telecom, public transport, defence, and railways will strike on July 9, while unions in construction, beedi, Anganwadi, ASHA, mid-day meal workers, domestic workers, hawkers, and vendors will participate in mass mobilisation actions. The Samyukta Kisan Morcha and a joint front of agricultural workers' unions have extended support to the strike.
'We don't see any impact from the proposed strike. It is politically motivated, and the people behind it have been discredited. In fact, we have received support from over 200 worker unions across the country, many of which are affiliated with central unions like AITUC and INTUC, demonstrating that their own house is not in order,' official sources added.
Trade unions had previously observed similar nationwide strikes in November 2020, March 2022, and February 16 last year.
In a related development, Kerala Transport Minister K B Ganesh Kumar said state-run Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) buses would continue operating on Wednesday, despite central trade unions calling for a nationwide strike. The KSRTC had not received any formal notice from trade unions about their participation in the strike.
"As far as KSRTC is concerned, employees are happy and content. The unions have not issued any notice. KSRTC buses will run as usual," he added.